Title: Where the Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owns

Book Edition Read: Kindle

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Table of contents

Quick Overview

Characters Considered

Pacing

Plot

Prose

Favorite Quotes and Chapters

New Vocabulary

Final Verdict

Questions of the Day

Readerly Gists

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Quick Overview

Two young boys find a dead body in the marsh off the North Carolina coast, a large and secluded area where nature prevails. The sheriff is alerted and the first and only person suspected of committing the murder is Kya Clark, a woman who lives deep in the marsh. Although the townspeople know of her, their lack of respect for her stems from their biases against people residing in the marsh. Taken to jail and put on trial for Chases murder, will Kya survive the townspeople’s judgement?

Split into two parts, The Marsh and The Swamp, and told in past and present years, the story of Where the Crawdads Sing reveals answers to that pivotal question. It is a coming of age, murder-mystery story following a woman named Kya Clark from the age of 6 to adulthood. Through her lens we experience abandonment, racism, relationships, isolation and the power of education.

Characters Considered

The Marsh – Introduced in the prologue, the marsh becomes a character. Delia Owens’ writing style portrays the marsh as a space of wild beauty and not to be confused with a swamp. It’s home to nature with patterns that eventually become expertly understood and studied by Kya who calls it home. The marsh is seen as a place of peace, comfort, solitude, and keeper of secrets. The embodiment of a reliable friend.

Kya Clark – Nicknamed the Marsh Girl, Kya Clark is a young woman who grew up surrounded by nature. Her interactions with it and the people she comes across contribute to her character development. No stranger to abandonment, at the age of six she witnesses her mother leave home with a suitcase. This singular experience starts a domino effect and Kya’s other siblings follow suit until she is left alone with her abusive and alcoholic father who also eventually leaves her to survive on her own in a ramshackle house in the marsh. Completely alone and unsure of why she’s been dealt this hand of cards in life, Kya pushes through and faces hardships head-on. Her resiliency and drive to maintain and survive is endearing. Due to her past experiences with her family members, Kya finds it difficult to cultivate and maintain strong intimate relationships. She’s reluctant to trust and allow people into her life, for fear of being hurt by disappointment is always either at the forefront or edge of her mind. In that aspect, I found this trait about her very relatable. Wanting to be vulnerable with others but trying to protect yourself at the same time is all par for the course when developing relationships, meaningful or not. Taking chances with people is a learning experience and Kya learns what to consider before forging relationships with them.

Jumpin’ and Mabel – This husband-and-wife duo is helpful where they are able to to step in for Kya, and she reveres them as family. Describing them any further would spoil their role and its significance to Kya’s story. Please read the book to understand the impact they have on her life.

Tate Walker – Tate Walker was a good friend of Kya’s brother, Jodie. Upon spotting Kya boating around the marsh, he notices that she’s alone and extends himself to her. His consideration and minimal prejudice of others is due to his upbringing. Regardless of how it could be perceived by others he always made an effort to help Kya. Tate is friendly, thoughtful, supportive, uplifting, loyal, and most importantly, he takes accountability when necessary. I will admit that I initially did not think he had the best intentions for Kya because of how young and naive she is, but I was proved wrong. It just took time for his character to grow on me.

Chase Andrews – Alongside a majority of the townspeople, Chase Andrews is an unfavorable character. He is a follower and not the leader that the townspeople have built him up to be, as he is untrustworthy, dangerous, and does not take responsibility for how his actions and behavior affects others. I’m salty towards him and almost did not include him in this section because he is an unlikeable character. Chase has minimal redeeming factors about him besides being another person in Kya’s life to teach her a life lesson that she maybe wouldn’t have otherwise experienced if she had not met him. I will give him that much.

Pacing

The pacing of Where the Crawdads Sing was like a rollercoaster. It was expected because there has to be a build-up before the conflict and resolution. The beginning of the book was slow, and as I often state, the book did not find its footing until Chapter 8 and I can easily see how some readers may have stopped well before reaching that mark. The pacing is equally plot driven and character driven, but the first few chapters are more backstory as to how Kya ended up alone. Considering some reviews that I’ve seen, the long periods of time in the marsh and talk of cooking grits, grinds some gears. The meat of the book where we get more of Kya’s adolescent years is the section of chapters I enjoyed the most and what I feel many other readers stuck around for.

I did notice that the story started to feel different towards the end. It wasn’t in a negative way, but it was noticeable to me. The only feeling I can compare it to is agreeing with someone after a huge argument. Agreeing so you’ll have peace, feeling tired afterwards, pretending like it didn’t happen, and then moving on. Never allowing the argument to engulf you, but you are mindful that it happened and know what you should do to avoid it happening again. I hope I’m making sense. Let me know if you know what I mean.

Plot

As expressed in the ‘Pacing’ segment of this book reaction, the story did not grip me in the beginning, but as I kept reading and getting to know the characters, their experiences slowly appealed to me. The subjects of survival and perseverance and themes of social isolation were effectively conveyed.

Prose

Delia Owens’ writing style is accessible and easy to read. I did highlight a couple of words that I was unfamiliar with, but that did not deter nor stop me from understanding the story. What I enjoyed most about the writing is how the characters and story line are believable and that the mystery remained a mystery until the very end (for me).

Favorite Chapters and Quotes

Chapters

Quotes

New Vocabulary

Final Verdict

I suggest Where the Crawdads Sing for readers who enjoy a slow burn, whodunnit mystery. It’s not a new favorite, but I do recommend that you give the book a chance. As of now, I do not plan on re-reading it, but you never know, maybe I will revisit it in a couple of years.

Questions of the Day (QOTD)

• Have you read Where the Crawdads Sing?
• Have you seen the movie adaption for Where the Crawdads Sing?
• Which do you prefer? The book or movie?
• Do you know of any books that are similar to Where the Crawdads Sing?

Readerly Gists

See What Readers Have to Say About Where the Crawdads Sing